Device for lighting and extinguishing gas-lamps.



J. & G. KEITH.

DEVICE. FOR. LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS. APPLIOATION FILED H1B.16.'1914,

1,103,5 1 7. Patented July 14, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

F25 l a .3 y /f/a [uvm-roes Wlrucssrs J & G. KEITH.

DEVICE POR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS LAMPS.

APPLICATION FILED PBBJG, 1914. l, l 03,5 l 7. Patented July 14, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

tinguishing UETTED sTiiTEs .PATENT orricE,

JAMES KEITH` AND GEORGE KEITH,

OF LOND0N,'ENGI1AND.

DEVICE FOR LIGHTING AND EXTINGUISHING GAS-LAMPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14:, 1914..

Application filed February 16, 1914. Serial No. 818,955.

This invention relates to means Jfor use in lighting and extinguishing the burners of high pressure gas lamps pressure ot the gas supply.

The invention contemplates the provision of devices whereby it is rendered possible to extinguish certain burners of an installation without alliecting other burners on the same main.

In accordance with the invention, supply valve is adapted to be automatically opened when the ordinary gas pressure z'. e.,

that prevailing in the main is increased to high working pressure and to be automatically closed when the pressure is temporarily further increased in excess of the working pressure, the supply valve remaining closed on restoration of the ing the subsequent period of ordinary pressure. Further, the supply of gas to the pilot light tube is automatically controlled in such manner that suoli supply is restricted during periods of high pressure.

To control the supply of gas there is provided a diaphragm interposed between the body of the supply valve and a chamber communicating with the pilot light, said diaphragm constituting the closing element of the supply valve and being normally held against the valve seat by a plunger loaded preferably by Aa spring, rIhe inlet end of the supply valve is connected by means of a controllable by-pass conduit with said chamber while communicationbetween said chamber and the pilot tube is established by an orifice controlled by a valve float and a con` stricted bypass.

The load acting on the plunger is so adj usted that the ordinary gas pressure is insuflicient to disengage the diaphragm from the seat of the supply valve, but when the ordinary pressure is increased to high working pressure the diaphragm will be forced back to permit the flow of gas to the burner or burners.

On sudden increase of the high working pressure above a delinite limit, the valve oat by variation of the the gas high pressure and duris raised by the action of a loaded piston to close the orifice communicating with the pilot tube. Owing to the outflow of gas from the chamber to the pilot tube being thus checked by the valve iioat, the pressure in the chamber becomes equal to that acting on the diaphragm on the side adjacent to the supply valve. Consequently, the diaphragm is forced uponthe seat of the supply valve by the said loaded plunger and maintained in this position after the lexpiration of the temporary increase of pressure, the pilot tube receiving continued supply of gas at high pressure through the constricted by-pass. These conditions prevail until the high working pressure is reduced to the ordinary pressure,

whereupon normal conditions are reestab-V lished.

It will be understood that certain of the lamps' may be equipped merely with a light ing device comprising a supply valve controlled by a diaphragm interposed between said supply valve and a chamber connected directly to the pilot tube, the valve float and the loaded piston constituting the main elements of the extinguishing device proper being'in this case omitted. The burners so equipped are automatically extinguished when the high working pressure is reduced to ordinary Vpressure and are not affected by a temporary increase of the pressure of the gas above the high working pressure in order to extinguish burners provided also with the extinguishing device. Further it will be understood that individual burners or groups of burners provided with the extinguishing device may be extinguished at different times according to the adjustment of the load on the piston ofthe extinguishing devices of the respective burners.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying kdrawings in which- Figure l is a vertical section and Fig. 2 a horizontal section of the improved lighting and extinguishing device. Fig. 3 is an elevation `and Fig. l is a part plan part horizontal section of yautomatic extinguishing means detachably secured to the lighting device proper.

The same reference characters denote similar parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawing, 1 denotes the casing of the automatic gas supply valve. To said casing l is connected a casing 1it which contains the means hereinafter described, for extinguishing the flame at the 5 way of an orifice 4L with an annular recessk l5 formed in the side of the casing 1 adjacent lto the casing l, and an outlet compartment 6 communicating` with an orificeE 7 located centrally of said annular recess 5. ,"Interposed between the casing 1 andthe 'inrgfl" isa* diaphragm 8 which covers the an'nulfar recess 5,l and is adapted to engage theseat9` presented by the circular ridge which surrounds the orifice 7, v'the said diaphragm being pressed toward said seat by"tllie"head 10er a lplunger 11 slidablyar- "ranged within `a cylindrical recess 12 and actedon by aspring 18. As will be evident, vthev engagement of said 'seat by" said diaphragm prevents admission of gas to' the buI-'nerfwliile ordinary pressure prevails in the main; when, however, the pressure is increased to high `working pressure, the diaphragm is forced away yfrom the seat and gas'fis allowedto flow by way of the outlet compartment 6 to the burner or burn'ers.` A .port 19 permanently incommunication withfth'e annular recess 5 communicateslb'y vway of rtwo"oriices"20a yand 21a with the cylindrical-recess 12 (see Fig. 2) 'the flow of intofthe recess 12 through either ot'v "said ori'ifces being controlled by means of ie'gulating screws 2Q and" 21 respectively, the orifice 20L being 'adapted also to beenltirelyclesed by 'means o'f a valvemember l'iiormedon the endA of the plunger when said :plunger is forced into the recess 12 by thigh lpressure i of gas acting lon the `diaphragm. -Tlie gas admitted tothe cylindrical recess 12fp'as'sesfthrough a channel -111 in the plunger V11v intothe chamber 1", whence itowsjftd the pilot'tubeflfby way of the port [15,"a' lcylindrical chamber 8ZL andareyxcess 13'? in a valve ioat 13a movable' within van'eXten'sion 12*l of the chamber 8a.

"K"Movablewithinthe'chamber 8L is a piston 't'a formed withla valve'element 2a adapted to `rest"on ya fs'eat ,l'fpresented'bythe edge of a cylindrical recess 850i" the casingla, said recess?)b communicating 'with the port 19.'y The "piston Fand valve elelnent 2 are loaded preferably jby a tensionr spring 441 equipped with'adjustingmeans including a rotatable 4'screw 52L projecting beyond the lower fend of said `casing 1a and passing Athrough a gland 6a connected thereto.

The'po'rt'15 isso disposed that when the piston 7a ,is in' its'normal position, as shown, fthe'said port isexposed sol lasto Jcom- ;munic'atefwiththefspace in the chamber 8'rl abfove'the piston 7a.' "The val-ve loat 13a located A:"within the extension f '12a of 'the 'lhamber '8L normally restsat its flower end ladjacent cup-shaped chamber 1b in the case on the upper face of the piston 7a, the upper conical end 14L of the Avalve #oat or float valvey 13" bei'ngadapted ytomenga'ge a seat l15a formed at the top of the extension 12a, said extension 12El communicating directly with the pilot tube 16, an auxiliary ing the latter to' beiblown"suddenlyupward within its chamber Saf'the initial movement 'oflthe pistonia first causingithe port 15 to t be 'closed','and furtherupwardmovement of the piston permitting communication between the port 15 andthespac'e on theflower 'side'oi' the piston A 7&1. @Simultaneously the movement `of the `piston 7av causes the Vupper 'end 14a of the vali'fe1iJ1 to engage its-'seat 15a, thus obstructing the direct outlet t'o the'pilot tube V16. The "high pressure vgas acting'be- -neaththe Apiston passes'by way'ofthe port V15'`to the chamber l'bso as to counter'balancer the pressure efgas'etending to n naintainl the 'diaphragm 8 o ut'of engagement-'with the seat 19,' whereby the spring 1S acting on the head 10 "ofl the lplunger 11 ise'nabled to .force ti'ngoii" the supply of gasjto the burner' or burners. "Tliereupoiifthe gas leakspast the Piston? a to the upper face thereof 'andlevent- 'ually its pressure counterbalances'fthe pres- -sure acting on'thelowerface of 'thepiston 7a,

thereby' permitting the valve;elemen`t72a to be closed by the action ofV t'he spring 1a.

The pressure gas"'now inclose'd in the 'chamber'SL above-"the piston Tafis sufficient to maintain the upper end 14a of the valve 13a inengag'ementwith the 'seat 15a' 'so'that the pilot-:tube receives its supply of gas through the by-p`ass'22f Owing tothe outlet from the extension '12a' to the pilotftubebeingthus partially obstructed, the pressure"in"the chambers 8? and 1? is not reduced below the 'high working pressure on "eXpiration` of the periodof excess pressure,the weight 'of the valve 13a being such'thatv it will be maintained' in engagement withthe'seat 151"by-A V the high working pressure, f'High working pressure 1s maintained 1n the ychambers 1b =and"8a by the'ingress of gasto thez chamber 1b by way of Ethe orifices 20a' and 21a', consequently the diaphragm 8 remains in en? gagement withth'e seat 9 until the pressure of `gas is reduced to rvthe ordinary pressure, 'whereupon the Valve 13EL drops', leaving the diaphragm l8 free to act when the-next lighti'ngeup timearrives. LThe' yconstructionshown in Figsp and 4;

is substantially the same as that described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2, save that the casing 1a of the extinguisher is detachably connected to the chamber 1b containing the diaphragm 8, a pipe connection 28 being attached to said chamber and leading to a branch opening into the chamber 8LL within which the piston 7l operates, the pipe connection 28 being substituted for the port 15. ln this case, the regulating screw 21 is removed and its corresponding orifice plugged as indicated at 29, Fig. 5, the regulating screw 30 serving in lieu thereof passing through an orifice 31 permitting a free supply of gas to pass to the recess 3b of the casing 1a by way of the port 19.

lWe claim y 1. Means for automatically lighting and extinguishing gas lights, said means comprising a valve body through which the supply of gas passes, said valve body provided with a seat, a diaphragm adapted to engage said seat and to cut oil passage of gas through said valve body, means tending to press said diaphragm against said seat, a chamber at the side of said diaphragm remote from said seat, said chamber formed with a by-pass conduit connecting the inlet end of said valve body with said chamber, a pilot tube communicating with said cham ber, a second chamber communicating with said pilot tube, a loaded piston movable in said second mentioned chamber, the part of said second mentioned chamber beneath said piston being in communication with the inlet end of said supply valve body, and a valve iioat adapted to be actuated by said piston to obstruct communication between said first mentioned chamber and said pilot tube.

2. Means for automatically lighting and extinguishing gas lights, said means comprising a valve body through which the supply ot gas passes, said valve body provided with a seat, a diaphragm adapted to engage said seat and to cut oii passage of gas through said valve body, means tending to press said diaphragm against said seat, a chamber at the side oi. said diaphragm remote from said seat, said chamber formed with a by-pass conduit connecting the inlet. end of said valve body with said chamber, a pilot tube communicating with said chamber, a second chamber communicating with said pilot tube, a loaded piston movable in said second mentioned chamber, a valve ele- 'ment connected with said piston, the part of said second mentioned chamber beneath said valve element being in communicationk with the inlet end of said supply valve body, and a valve float adapted to be actuated by said piston to obstruct communication between said first mentioned chamber and said pilot tube.

8. Means for automatically lighting and extinguishing gas lights, said means comprising a valve body through which the supply of gas passes, said valve body provided with a seat, a diaphragm adapted to engage said seat and to cut olf passage of gas through said valve body, means tending to press said diaphragm against said seat, a chamber at the side of said diaphragm remote from said seat, said chamber formed with a by-pass conduit connecting the inlet end of said valve body with said chamber, a valve member adapted to obstruct communication between said conduit and said chamber, a pilot tube communicating with said chamber, a second chamber communicating with said pilot tube, a loaded piston movable in said second mentioned chamber, a valve element connected with said piston, the part of said second mentioned chamber beneath said valve element being in communication with the inlet end of said supn ply valve body, and a valve iioat adapted to be actuated by said piston to obstruct communication between said rst mentioned chamber and said pilot tube.

4. Means for automatically extinguishing gas lights, said means comprising a pilot tube, a casing having a chamber communi cating with said pilot tube, said casing being provided with upper and lower valve seats and with a port of admission of gas to said chamber, a loaded piston movable in said chamber and adapted to cover and uncover saidport, a valve element connected with and below said piston and adapted to engage said lower valve seat, the part of said chamber beneath said seat having an opening for admission of gas under pressure in excess of the working pressure, and a valve float or float-valve adapted to be lifted by said piston against said upper valve seat to obstruct passage of gas to said pilot tube.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this speciiication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES KEITH. GEORGE KEITH.

Witnesses ALLACE CRANsToN l*`A1R'\vEAr1-niu, DOUGLAS KEITH FAiRwEA'ri-IER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

